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Slik Pro Ball Head 800 (Holds 6.61 lb) $79.95 Strong, sturdy, and easy to use, the Ball Head 800 was created to take on a range of equipment from digital and 35 mm up to 4×5 field cameras.Using the same quick release system as the PRO 700 DX tripod head, the Ball Head 800 has one of the fasted and easiest quick release plates in the industry. SLIK made a circular quick release plate that can secure the camera to the tripod pointing in any dir… |
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Gitzo & Slik Kit: Gitzo 2220 Aluminum Explorer Tripod Legs with Slik Pro Ball 800 Quick Release Head & Tripod Case The Explorer incorporates many innovative ideas in tripod design; individually locking legs that can be fixed at any angle from 0° to 90° and a column that will tilt from the vertical, right over beyond the horizontal and lock solidly at any angle. A swivel at the lock on the column lets you position the angled column over a leg for stability, or between the spread legs to shoot straight down on… |
Episode 47 :: Large Format Camera Movements
4×5 View Camera Movements
Why A 4×5 View Camera?
The view camera which is still popular today with both amateurs and serious photographers was actually one of the earliest camera designs. Particularly the 4×5 view camera has a prominent place in the modern film camera industry. The excellence of the photographs as well as the freedom of creativity offered are a couple of the many reasons for this.
So a 4×5 view camera is what precisely? Although the majority of people accustomed to dealing with digital cameras would find a view camera very complex, the reality is the total opposite. At it’s foundation it’s the simplest a camera with a lens can get. Basically it consists of a rear standard, a front standard, a set of bellows in between and a lens. The front standard is where the lens is attached and where the shutter (usually inside of all modern-day lenses) is found. The shutter (which is normally located within most modern-day lenses) and the lens itself is connected to the front standard. And the rear standard at the back of the camera is where the film is retained for exposure. Although this is the basic layout the majority of cameras are, naturally, going to have more components, especially more recent models.
The 4×5 part of 4×5 view camera is simply the size film it employs and the format negative which is produced. 4×5 is the most common due to it’s ease of use and price but view cameras come in numerous formats including 5×7, 8×10, 11×14, 12×20 and several more, not to mention custom sizes. A credit to it’s ability to be found at most specialty stores and the fact that it can be processed for a moderate price (which is almost never the case with most others) 4×5 is still the most popular format.
The 4×5 view camera is normally seen in one of two standard designs.
The first type is known as a monorail camera. A portrait studio or similar situation is where you are most often going to see this camea being used. In this model the rear and front standards both are mounted to a single main rail that permits them to slide backward and forward for focusing. Monorail 4×5 cameras usually have a much better range of movement and are more appropriate for making various types of delicate shots, including macrophotography, than their counterparts. They are, nevertheless, rather weighty and cumbersome to carry around which is their main downside. Monorail cameras are manufactured by a number of companies, including Arca-Swiss.
Field cameras make up the second common type of 4×5 camera. It basically reverses the advantages and disadvantages of the monorail type camera. It is far simpler to manage and lighter to transport than a monorail but the 4×5 field camera is usually somewhat wanting in technical movements. Also, the field camera can normally be folded up to rather small proportions for comfortably lugging around. Landscape photographers will very typically choose this type of 4×5 view camera. A good line of field cameras are produced by Wista.
If there is more you’d like to find out about 4×5 cameras please see us at The4x5Camera.com.
About the Author
My name’s John and I’m an semi-professional photographer, art student and the webmaster of The4x5Camera.com. If you’re still interested in learning more about cameras like the Arca-Swiss 4×5 feel free to check out the website.